The country’s third largest city is preparing for the worst. Officials warned downtown Brisbane could be inundated by Thursday.

Brisbane’s mayor, Campbell Newman, said local officials expected about 6,500 properties to be flooded in the days to come.

Elsewhere in Queensland, the situation was worse. Flash floods roared through the city of Toowoomba, bringing the death toll from the ongoing floods to 18, with scores more missing. Read the full report from TIME’s Krista Mahr.